


By the Salt and Under the Light

by Obscurum_et_Revelare



Category: Wheel of Time - Robert Jordan
Genre: F/M, First Time, Fluff, Wedding Night
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-06-12
Updated: 2020-06-12
Packaged: 2021-03-03 21:20:48
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,611
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24672235
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Obscurum_et_Revelare/pseuds/Obscurum_et_Revelare
Summary: What really happened during Nynaeve and Lan's Sea Folk marriage ceremony?
Relationships: Nynaeve al'Meara/Lan Mandragoran
Comments: 9
Kudos: 26





	By the Salt and Under the Light

**Author's Note:**

> I had a lot of fun writing this! Of course this is just my imagining of what may have happened during the elusively mysterious Sea Folk wedding ceremony. I do not own The Wheel of Time or any of it's characters.

Nynaeve pulled the shawl tight around her body wishing it was thicker. She could feel the cool air through it prickling her skin with goosebumps. _How could she have agreed to this?_ No self respecting woman would appear like this in public. For Lan, in private, would be another matter but this was ridiculous.  
She felt the wide sash on her baggy Sea Folk trousers swing as she shifted her feet nervously.  
She could always change her mind, Lan would understand, they could find another way. _The Women's Circle would have had the head of any woman in Emond's field dressed like this about to walk into a room full of people._ But she wasn't in Emond's field anymore and she wasn't about to give Lan the chance to slip away from her, especially when Myrelle held his bond. Nynaeve gave her braid a firm tug. _The light burn Myrelle, her and Moiraine both!_ _She_ would _have Lan's bond if she had to kick Myrelle halfway to Tar Valon to get it._  
The door to the small room opened suddenly and Nynaeve jumped, almost yanking her braid out of her head in surprise.  
"It is time. Follow me Nynaeve al'Maera." Nynaeve tried not to stare at the barechested Sea Folk woman. She turned towards the door before pausing and eyeing Nynaeve, "You will need to leave the shawl here. It is begun."  
Nynaeve reluctantly removed the shawl, covering herself with crossed arms, and stared at the floor. She felt a blush rise up her face as the Sea Folk woman looked at her. She felt as if the woman's gaze took in every inch of her bare chest, though she knew the woman couldn't think anything of it. Sea Folk women always went barechested out of sight of shore. There was nothing else for it. Nynaeve took a breath, steeling herself, then lowered her arms and, staring straight ahead, marched forwards.  
Nynaeve followed the woman down a short hall to another door and faltered.  
No one had seen her yet, she could always say she was ill. Surely then no one would see her this way, and no one could blame a woman for feeling faint on her wedding day. Nynaeve had almost conceded to the fluttering of her stomach when the flavour of powdered mavens leaf curled her tongue. She fingered Lan's ring hanging from the cord around her neck. _No, light blind her she would go through with this._ The door opened removing her choice in the matter.  
Taking a deep breath Nynaeve stepped into the room.  
They were below decks on one of the Sea Folk ships but the room was surprisingly large. There were nine dark skinned figures clad in their trousers and jewellery. Every time Nynaeve saw a nose ring or one of those chains connecting it to an earring she had to try not to cringe. Four men and four women were present as witnesses along with the sail mistress of this ship. All were standing quietly, waiting. The sail mistress gestured Nynaeve to stand to her left.  
Nynaeve stood trying not to fidget, blushing at the idea of being so unclothed in a room with men. She kept her eyes fixed firmly on the floor though not on her feet. Aes Sedai did not hang their heads like children caught stealing a pie no matter that they stood half naked in a room full of people. The moments slipped by as she stood determinedly, waiting.  
_Light, are they going to make me stand here all day?_ She fought the urge to pull her braid in impatience.  
Just when Nynaeve thought she couldn't stand to wait a second longer, there was a creak and the door opened to reveal Lan.  
Lan was tall as ever with his hair pulled back by the leather hadori given to young men in Malkier to signify their pledge to fight the shadow. Nynaeve's eyes moved over the hard planes of his face sliding down his neck and over his shoulders. She looked at the old scars marking his body and the newer ones gained from his journey to Myrelle. She slowly looked back up to his face and met his eyes, cold and unfeeling after Moiraine's death.  
It was only then that she realized he was studying her as well, and blushed fit for two sunsets. She had almost managed to forget what she was wearing, or not wearing as the case may be, but feeling him look made her feel even more exposed. His face softened for just an instant and she felt an ounce of confidence trickle back into her. _Burn him, he_ would _be hers._ He gave her a slight nod and she felt her head nod in return.  
At a gesture from the sail mistress he stepped into the room, facing Nynaeve from the sail mistress's right.  
The sail mistress gave each of them a look before starting, "I, Rinelle din Sora Night Wave, Sail mistress of Wind Rider, will see you married this day under the Light. Have I four women present to represent Nynaeve al'Maera and her rights and responsibilities in this marriage?"  
"We witness and represent on behalf of Nynaeve al'Maera," The women chorused together.  
"Have I four men present to represent the rights and responsibilities of al'Lan Mandragoran?"  
The deeper voices of the men rang, "We witness and represent on behalf of al'Lan Mandragoran."  
"Nynaeve al'Maera and al'Lan Mandragoran, do you seek the ultimate bargain of marriage, ready to pay the costs and reap the benefits thereof through the rest of your lives?"  
Nynaeve's stomach did a back flip before hearing Lan's sombre "I do" and affirming her own. Her hand drifted to take a grip on her braid until she realized what she was doing and shifted to try to smooth her skirts instead, only to rediscover she was wearing trousers. That of course reminded her of what she was not wearing and she felt her face start to heat again.  
"To be married is to command and to submit. Either cannot be without the other. One who commands in public must submit in private. One who submits in public gains command in private. Such is the way to be equal while keeping rank and order. Nynaeve al'Maera, do you swear to command or submit in public or private as appropriate for your rank in comparison to your husband's? Do you swear to bear no bitterness should your ranks change? Do you swear to remain true to him and him alone by the salt and under the light?" Rinelle looked at Nynaeve expectantly, who nodded and quickly said, "By the salt and under the Light I do swear". The Sail mistress repeated the questions to Lan who somberly replied, "By the salt and under the Light I do swear."  
The Sail mistress took Nynaeve's right hand and Lan's left, putting them palm to palm with fingers interlaced. She took a cord from her pocket and began to wrap it around their hands.  
"As a sail is bound to a ship so you are bound to each other. Bound to sail the seas of life and winds of change. Bound to brave the rough waters. What is bound heart and mind may not be torn asunder, though the Father of Storms himself sends winds meant to rip the sails and rend the ship. With this cord as your rigging I bind you heart and mind to sail against the storm." Rinelle tied a complicated looking knot and Nynaeve looked at Lan as her stomach did another back flip. What she saw was a moment of passion flit across his eyes. Only a moment, but in that moment she saw how badly he wanted this even though he had tried to say no, how much he loved her even though he tried to send her away and how much he wanted her even though he tried to hide it. Nynaeve could hardly bear to see those eyes revert to the cold of stone after seeing them fill with heat. She took half a step forward, ready to wrap her free arm around him to comfort him and to show him how much she loved him in return. But before she could, Rinelle spoke again. "Now that you have been bound you must truly become one."  
At those words Nynaeve's stomach suddenly plummeted through the floor boards. _They couldn't possibly mean what that sounded like. Not here, not with people watching!_  
Lan didn't look surprised but his face was conspicuously blank. The fractional lift of his eyebrows said it all, he had not been expecting this either.  
"Two of each of the witnesses shall watch for the public and two of each shall turn away for the private. Thus you may enter this marriage as equals." Two of the men and two of the women turned to face the walls but the rest watched the couple openly.  
Nynaeve stood frozen as Rinelle moved to make a bundle of blankets and rugs into a hasty pallet in the center of the room. She felt Lan lean close enough that his lips brushed her ear whispering, "We don't have to go through with this. You may not be a prude Cairehenan but you are no Domani light-skirt either."  
Nynaeve's free left hand moved to her braid, gripping it but too shocked to tug. _She didn't have to do this. Lan would let her walk away from it. Light, to do this in_ public _was simply unthinkable._  
But if she balked then Lan would not be her husband.  
She wanted to be his wife more than anything else, except maybe to heal people. In the end, all it took was one thought of Myrelle and she was decided. She would _not_ be stopped by something she was going to do eventually anyway. Nynaeve set her jaw, gave her braid a deliberate yank and hissed, "I am walking off this ship married to you or not at all!"  
Lan's near smirk was almost too much to bear. She was shaking but she couldn't tell if it was fear at what she was about to do or rage at the nerve of Lan to find this amusing. Nynaeve opened her mouth to give him the rough side of her tongue but saw Rinelle waiting for them by the pallet. Nynaeve swallowed instead and stepped forward but Lan held her back and took her cheek in his free palm. He looked serious again when he said, "I may laugh but believe me when I say I take my duty as your carneira, your first lover, very seriously. A woman always chooses her own and I am honoured by your choice. I will do everything I can to make sure you enjoy this."  
Nynaeve took a sharp intake of breath and felt her stomach flip flop again before Lan kissed her, deep and slow. She rested her hand on his chest and kissed him back, hard. When he pulled away she felt a little weak-kneed and thought perhaps moving to the pallet would be for the best.  
Lan lead Nynaeve forwards to where the sail mistress stood, appearing barely short of tapping her foot with impatience. Rinelle quickly stated, "Here are the two, here is the place, let two become one in this one place and thus be joined heart and mind, soul and body."  
She stepped back to the front of the room and waited expectantly.  
Nynaeve looked at Lan shyly, nervously. Her unbound hand pulled her braid before she could stop it. Lan took the hand in his and looked into her eyes, "We will take it slow. Try to relax and enjoy yourself." _Enjoy herself indeed._ The Light blind the man, how could she enjoy doing this where she could be seen? But then he was kissing her again. This one started slow like last time, but grew faster. Nynaeve felt Lan's tongue brush against hers as he pulled her body to his. Her free hand ran the length of his bare back exploring the lines of his muscles. She tangled her fingers in Lan's hair feeling the need to be closer to him.  
Lan pulled back and began to fumble one handed with the sash holding his Sea Folk trousers up. Nynaeve used her free hand to help though her eyes remained on his face. It took only a few moments for the sash to come free and Lan to sweep the trousers down easily. Nynaeve took a careful breath and looked down. He was already mostly erect, it was very clear how much he wanted her. She spent a moment looking from his toes all the way up to his head, drinking him in. Her Lan. She pulled his face down enough to give him a gentle kiss.  
Too soon Lan's hand moved to her sash. Nynaeve glanced sideways at the observing Sea Folk before Lan took her chin in his hand and pulled it back facing his. "Look at me," he said, his hand still on her chin for emphasis. "Keep your eyes on me and let everything else melt away."  
Nynaeve nodded and Lan moved his hand back toward her sash. This time Nynaeve found her shaking hand moving to help his, though she feared she was as much hindrance as help. Soon enough he swept her trousers down around her ankles and her hand twitched resisting the urge to cover herself as she felt a blush rising in her face. _Just watch him, let everything else melt away._ Light, that was easier said than done, but burn her to ashes if she came this far to balk now.  
That spark crossed his eyes again, the spark that showed there was some love and passion left in him.  
Then Lan was kissing her. Nynaeve let herself be swept up in the sensations as she felt Lan's mouth on hers, hard. This wasn't a gentle kiss of reassurance or a moving kiss of encouragement, this was a passionate kiss full of wanting, needing. She returned it enthusiastically, accepting when he edged his tongue out to meet hers. Lan's arm came around her back pressing their bodies together. Nynaeve tried to respond by running both her hands up his hard back though rediscovering that her right hand was bound to his left, she settled for just using one. Nynaeve followed up by giving his lip a gentle bite for good measure. _Two can play this game_ , Nynaeve thought, though upon further reflection she realized that's probably exactly what he wanted. Lan groaned quietly in response and guided her down to the blankets. He started to kiss down the side of her neck, taking time to nibble at any sensitive spots he discovered, just under her jaw, the edge of her collar bone, before continuing downwards.  
Nynaeve was torn. She could still feel those Sea Folk eyes on her but the feel on Lan's warm mouth was too good to resist. Suddenly his mouth was on her nipple and her eyes flashed to his, looking up from her left breast. He worked it in his mouth giving it light flicks of his tongue followed by sucking and the occasional bite of teeth. She could start to feel a wetness between her legs as he switched to the other nipple. He worked this one the same way, looking her in the eyes the whole time.  
Then his mouth came back to hers in a sensation of lips and tongue and even teeth as he caught her lower lip. Lan pushed her bound hand up beside her head pinning it as he used the hand to take some of his weight. Nynaeve's left hand however went around the back of his neck toying with the hair at the nape of his neck.  
Then she felt Lan at her entrance as he whispered in her ear, "Are you ready?"  
Nynaeve nodded nervously. She may have been a little scared but Light did she want him. _I don't think I could wait any longer_.  
Lan looked her lovingly in the eyes, all appearance of death disappearing, gently kissed her and entered.  
Nynaeve felt his smooth hard length slide into her. It hurt a little, but the feel of Lan this way, her Lan, _her husband,_ was too good to make the small pain matter.  
He waited for a few moments, kissing her, and Nynaeve just savoured the taste and feel of him. He smelled of sweat and travel and a scent she could only describe as himself. Lan pulled back to look at her once again, and then he started to move.  
Slowly and gently at first, careful not to hurt her, to let her adjust to this new sensation. And what a sensation it was. _Light, nothing can compare._  
Nynaeve was ready for more, wanted more, but Lan kept his pace despite her small urgings. He smiled and leaned in to whisper in her ear, "Good things come to those who wait, my love. Trust me, I will make it worth your while."  
Nynaeve thought this statement ridiculous. She wanted more, craved it, and here he was with his iron control refusing it! She squirmed under him as she tried to get a little more. A little more friction, a little more speed, a little more anything. Nynaeve pressed her free left hand against his back giving a small whimper of desperation, her eyes pleading.  
Lan gave her a look of pure wanting and then his mouth came down on hers hard. Nynaeve gasped and arched her back as Lan increased the force of his thrusts, each driving deliberately hard into her. She instinctively snapped her hips up meeting him stroke for stroke but starting to lose herself in the sensations. Each time sent a spider web of tingles emanating from her center.  
Then she felt more of Lan's weight brace on her bound and trapped right hand as he increased his pace. She used her left hand to tangle in his hair, pulling as he continued the build of movement and sensation. He looked back at her in a determined, possessive way.  
Nynaeve couldn't take much more of this, she felt like a band being stretched toward it's breaking point. She scratched her nails down Lan's back once, then again for good measure. The way his eyes closed and his back arched seemed to indicate that he didn't mind, though she felt sure he would have marks.  
Then Lan looked at her.  
His eyes were so alive, so loving and passionate and open. So vulnerable.  
Nynaeve felt a burning, tingling sensation building in her toes and her center. She looked desperately at Lan and with one hard thrust he broke the band and Nynaeve exploded.  
Fire raced through her veins as she felt her body tensing and relaxing, she moaned both with pleasure and from the sheer overpowering feeling of it all. It played through her in waves as Lan's movements changed. His pattern was shallower now, faster. His face took on a focused cast and then, his eyes closed, his mouth open, he found his release as well.  
Shaking, Lan leaned down to kiss her. They rocked together gently a few more times and then it was over. Lan pulled out of her and she felt strangely empty without him.  
Lan held her then and gave her a tender, chaste kiss.  
"I love you," he said huskily.  
"I love you too," Nynaeve smiled back.  
Nynaeve was snapped harshly back to reality a moment later by Rinelle din Sora leaning over them. She scowled at the woman. These Sea Folk were insufferable, _couldn't she have a few moments without them jumping in?_ It appeared not however, as Rinelle intoned, "The two are now one, bound heart and mind, body and soul. Let there be no storm they cannot weather for no wind or gale can rip them in twain. By the salt and under the Light the bargain is struck, by the salt and under the Light I pronounce you husband and wife."  
Nynaeve looked at Lan and beamed. _Her husband._  
Hearing movement, Nynaeve turned to see the Sea Folk filing out of the room. She wrapped a blanket around herself and stood up. "Now, we need to -" but she didn't get to finish.  
"Nynaeve, we are alone right now."  
"Yes Lan, of course we are. Which means we must - "  
"Nynaeve," Lan said, his voice starting to grow dangerous. "She who commands in public will submit in private. That is the oath you swore." Nynaeve's face went scarlet. How had she forgotten already? _This is going to be harder than I thought._ "I'm sorry Lan. I mean to say I am expected back at the palace. I do not want to be missed." Nynaeve gripped her braid, tugging. Light, they needed to get back so she could tell Elayne about the attack on the ship by Moghedien. She wasn't going to leave without being married, but now that was done they had places to be!  
"Wait here," Lan said firmly. "I will go collect our proper clothes. And Nynaeve?" His eyes glinted dangerously. "If you pull that braid at me again you may not like the consequences."  
Nynaeve felt her stomach flip over as he left the room. She knew this marriage was what she wanted, but she couldn't help feeling that she had just put her hand into a wasps' nest. Their vows were going to make this very interesting but she was happy to put up with any number of difficulties to have him, her Lan.


End file.
